Chihuahua, Mexico July 2009

God Has a Plan in the Sierra

One of the blessings of our recent medical team to the Sierra Tarahumara of Mexico is seeing again how God always has a plan. His ways truly are higher that our ways. Only he could have put together the right combination of eleven Americans traveling with the Global Health Outreach medical team and 14 Mexicans ministering under the direction of GO InterNational partner Jorge Ramirez to do the work he had planned for the week.

Our medical outreach began in the village of Guacaybo. Although we saw many patients, we weren’t quite as busy as expected. A rainstorm kept many of the patients who have to walk a long distance from visiting our clinic. However, when Dr. Sergio Miranda, the regional medical director, asked if we could send some people to visit some of their more serious patients in their homes, we had an unexpected opportunity. It took God’s protection to keep our van on the nearly impassable roads, but the blessing we received was worth it. Included in those we saw were Eva, a 5-year old with diabetes, and Cherly, a pregnant 16 year-old who also has a serious congenital heart defect. We were able to be a blessing to the patients and their families and share Christ’s love with them, as well as be a help to the local medical personnel as they do their best to care for the people in difficult circumstances. God’s plans continued to unfold later that evening after we thought we were finished and had the clinic and equipment all cleaned up for the night when a truckload of additional patients from another village showed up. The team showed me their servant hearts as they eagerly went back to work sharing Christ’s love and concern with those in need.

God continued to surprise us later in the week as well. Due to some unforeseen circumstances our clinic in the village of San Ignacio had to be cut short. However this gave us an opportunity to visit an orphanage in Creel and provide medical and dental care to the children that the orphanage never could have afforded to provide. They team also showed it’s versatility in putting on a puppet show and sharing Christ through song and a gospel presentation with the Evangecube. As we gathered to pray for the orphanage workers before we left, they were truly grateful to the Lord for the blessing he provided through our visit. For some on the team this was the highlight of the week.

The change in schedule also allowed us to visit a small village called Ojitos. This was also a small remote village in a beautiful mountain setting. The church building we used didn’t have electricity, so Dr. Jeff Worley set up his dental equipment outside a small cabin that had electricity for an open air dental office as he worked to meet the dental needs that day. Again our team was able to minister to the village children as well as meet medical and dental needs. It was a special privilege to pray with Guadalupe, and elderly Tarahumara woman who received Christ that day.

We fully expect that we are not done seeing God work through this team. We expect great reports from local missionaries Carlos and Laura Ponce and Esther in Guacaybo and also from Theresa in San Ignacio and Creel as we see how the seeds we planted grow in the hearts of the people. We also expect to hear great things from those who went on our team as their lives change as a result of our time together.